Are you coming out to play?

[eightyplus]

There was a feeling in the air that April morning

When sadness engulfed me without any warning.

Teens going to school cell phones held to faces

Knowing nothing of real adventures or of secret places,

No one chalking hopscotch on road or pavement

Waiting to escape schools daily enslavement.

Girls laughing and enjoying their fitness to play.

Skirts tucked into bloomers, so they won't get in the way

Boys and their arrows fired high in the air

Where they came down they just didn’t care.

Roller skates and spinning tops, glass marbles galore,

Nobody seem to be playing these games anymore.

Little girls had prams with dollies in them too.

Sue, Betty and Carol, and names now sadly taboo.

Coloured playing cards stuck in shiny bicycle spokes

Sounded like a motorbike with the noise it invokes.

Potatoes in hot glowing embers, a pleasure to see

Washed down with some sweet, smoke flavoured tea.

Wild garlic lay crushed beneath our naked feet

while dancing bluebells helped make the world complete.

Now stand roads and endless bays of reinforced concrete

waiting for out of town stores and the man in the street

Today the flowers are long gone, the woods no more

Lost are mysterious paths for children to explore

A dandelion unfaltering thrusts up a golden head

Easing through a tiny crack slowly starting to spread,

Stubborn, and not yet ready to be cast to one side

Like us with our ills, it continues on living with gentle pride.

I still think our past was better and we did have more fun.

Who would play indoors when they could be in the sun?

So here we stay on top with our meds and our issues

Grateful for an endless supply of our Kleenex tissues.

Have a great exacerbation free Easter.

Allan.

[peege]

What an evocative poem Allan. Did you write it?

Re old fashioned names, I have a daughter called Nellie and a tiny granddaughter called Martha.

There seemed less fear and more innocence when I was growing up in London. Bad things still happened though, we just didn't hear about it.

[newlands]

Loved it Allan xx

[Suzy6]

Loved it Allan. Pack of sandwiches bottle of pop out for the day roaming the woods and downs. Dog tagging on behind. Thank you.

[dall05]

Nice one Allan, things have definitely changed for the worst havn't they. Obesity is everywhere and its no surprise because computers and TVs only exercise the mind not the body.

Tony

[Mavary]

Hi Allan. That brought back some memories. I wish we could go back to that time with all our future ahead of us. X

[Toci]

Too true. x

[mustcarryon]

What a wonderful poem Allan. It bought back so many memories. Oh happy days, sadly gone never to return. The poem truly depicts a loss of innocence. xx

[friendly]

So very true, thank you, brought back happy memories.

[Hidden]

Yes, bought back memories to me as well! Those were the days....

Beautifully written,xxx

[longlungs]

Hi Allan what a lovely walk down memory lane,enjoyed that a lot thank-you. Janexx

[Chort]

Loved that poem! alas how much the young are missing stuck in their addictive world of smartphones and other technological marvels of the 21st century! I penelope from US

[undine]

very good thank you x

[Elidas59]

Thanks for making me smile that's a lovely poem with a lovely sentiment. Have a wonderful Easter please keep writing my Family also enjoyed your words and the Story you told so true.

Best wishes Allan from Elaine

[ginachron]

Thank you. Brought back memories I'd forgotten, like hopscotch. Gina x

[eightyplus]

Glad you all enjoy my scribbles as much as I enjoy writing them.

I honestly believe that my brain is still in the age of the schooners and freighters instead of the twenty first century. Remaining mentally active is so important to me and thinking that I am being read by someone from the other side of the world is both amazing and humbling. It has become a lot smaller place since I was a cabin boy.